Lawyers, not voters, will likely decide the 2024 election. Democrats are strategizing for law fare. In their logic, they have to “protect democracy” by canceling it. The fix needs to be in people’s minds that Trump will do something so the lawyers and courts will need to intervene. On Jan. 14, NBC ran a piece assuming Trump would use the military in a dictatorial fashion once he’s in the White House.
The fix is against Trump
That NBC news piece spoke of “a loose-knit network of public interest groups and lawmakers” that is making plans to “foil any efforts to expand presidential power” that Trump might use. Former high ranking officials insist Trump will use the Defense Department for political gain.
Biden’s team had leaked a strategy memo the end of December outlining that “Trump is an existential threat to democracy” so Democrats have been sure to push both “existential” and “democracy” in their words. Bill Clinton’s Secretary of Defense, William Cohen, said, “We’re about 30 seconds away from the Armageddon clock when it comes to democracy” and that Trump is “a clear and present danger to our democracy.”
More Democrats support the fix
Skye Perryman of Democracy Forward is part of the coalition involved in this strategy. She said, “We believe this is an existential moment for American democracy.” Leon Panetta, former CIA and defense chief, added, “Like any good dictator, he’s going to try to use the military to basically perform his will.”
Georgetown law professor Mary McCord is one of the few coalition members quoted by name. She said, “We’re already starting to put together a team to think through the most damaging types of things that he [Trump] might do so that we’re ready to bring lawsuits if we have to”. At least two organizations have been hyperactive in filing lawsuits against Trump or people involved with him. One is Democracy Forward, the other is Protect Democracy run by Obama lawyers.
The fix to retain power
The article suggested new forms of external control over the military would be needed should Trump become President. It spoke of a bill by CT Senator Richard Blumenthal to “clarify” the Insurrection Act. This would require that Congress ratify any decisions Trump makes to deploy the military here.
A variety of campaigns have been in play. Lawsuits have been employed to keep Trump from the ballot. Primaries have been canceled or invalidated. A piece by Robert Kagan sounded like an APB for assassins against the “inevitable” Trump presidency. A third party group called No Labels, all members of which are aligned with the Democrat party, sent a letter to the Department of Justice. It warned of anyone thinking of a third party run,
“Through every channel we have, to their donors, their friends, the press, everyone — everyone — should send the message: If you have one fingernail clipping of a skeleton in your closet, we will find it… If you think you were vetted when you ran for governor, you’re insane. That was nothing. We are going to come at you with every gun we can possibly find. We did not do that with Jill Stein or Gary Johnson, we should have, and we will not make that mistake again.”
